[opendtv] Re: FCC issues net neutrality rules in face of Congress and carriers
- From: Tom Barry <trbarry@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:53:21 -0400
Does upstream bandwidth cost any more to provide than downstream
bandwidth? If not, then you would think it would be provided at a
similar price to those willing to pay for it. Yet in most consumer data
plans there is a large ratio between the amount down vs up bandwidth
provided.
If there is not some large difference in the cost to provide it then we
have to assume there is some other reason for the discrepancy. One
possibility that comes to mind is that the ISP's are also data providers
and are discriminating against possible competition.
If we allow large ISP's to also become large data providers
(Comcast/NBCU?) then maybe we have to limit their legal ability to
hinder competition by restricting access to the pipes since they would
have an obvious economic incentive to do so. Otherwise there will not
be anything like a free market in providing content. ;-)
Just some conjecture here but I think the logic follows. And I would
like to avoid a global communication system where everybody is allowed
to listen but only the elite are allowed to send. It just seems sort of
un-Democratic.
- Tom
PS - Pls nobody reply that consumers using upstream bandwidth are all
just pirates anyway. We don't really want to open that can of worms.
Manfredi, Albert E wrote:
> I think that "net neutrality" is one of those simplistic sound bytes that
> politicians have a habit of taking too literally, in their confusion. It's
> all in the details.
>
> What a lot of kids seem to want is infinite upstream bandwidth, to be able to
> host their own web sites. I think this "net neutrality" is often a euphamism
> for that.
>
> Bert
>
> -----------------------------------------
> http://www.rethink-wireless.com/article.asp?article_id=2057
>
> FCC issues net neutrality rules in face of Congress and carriers
> By CAROLINE GABRIEL
>
> Published: 23 October, 2009
>
> As the FCC approves draft proposals on wireline and wireless net neutrality
> in the US, the Supercomm show in Chicago this week has been dominated by the
> carriers' angry response. One by one, senior executives used their keynote
> spots to argue that heavy regulation and neutrality will damage network and
> service quality, because it will deter players from investing heavily in new
> technologies.
>
> This was the message from Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg, who warned: "This is
> an analog policy that is not built for a digital universe", while the firm's
> EVP of public affairs, Tom Tauke, said that net neutrality rules failed to
> address core issues of network management, opening up dangers of security
> breaches and poor service performance.
>
> "You've got to be careful and not do something really stupid," he said.
>
> Private equity groups and other investors expressed fears that neutrality
> would make return on investment in telecoms even more uncertain and
> accelerate the flight of capital that has been seen over the past three years.
>
> With such comments ringing in its collective ear, the FCC published its
> proposals nonetheless, and was immediately countered by proposed legislation
> to block the actions. Introduced by former presidential candidate Senator
> John McCain, the Internet Freedom Act would prevent the FCC from enacting
> rules to stop broadband providers from selectively blocking or slowing
> certain internet content and applications. Net neutrality rules would create
> "onerous federal regulation", wrote McCain, calling them a "government
> takeover" of the internet that would stifle innovation. The wireless industry
> has "exploded over the past 20 years due to limited government regulation,"
> McCain said in the statement.
>
> The rules proposed by the FCC, which would formalize recommendations in place
> since 2005 and extend them to wireless, would allow web users to run any
> legal applications and access any legal web sites unfettered by the carriers,
> and would require service providers to use "reasonable" network management to
> reduce congestion and maintain quality of service. The rules would also
> require them to be transparent with consumers about these efforts and the
> quality of their networks.
>
> The FCC now will seek public comment on its proposed rules, with the goal of
> finalizing them some time next year. The rules almost certainly will be
> challenged in court as well as Congress.
>
> Meanwhile, the FCC's broadband coordinator, Blair Levin (executive director
> of the Omnibus Broadband Initiative) told Supercomm that mobile broadband
> would be the biggest driver of growth , but only if the US gains more
> spectrum, which will mainly rely on clearing current bands of incumbents. "I
> hope policy makers understand the seriousness of it," Levin said, adding that
> the plan needs to be formulated now, since it can take six to 13 years to
> clear spectrum.
>
>
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